Monday, September 22, 2008

Rafa”wins again

With a smattering of the wet stuff outside, I decided to attempt watching this year’s Grand Am season finale on the SPEED Channel, as the action was taking place at Miller Motorsport Park in Tooele, Utah. (The nation’s longest racing circuit)

Yet, my attention waned, as somehow I cannot get overly excited about the “Racin’ is Rubbin’” mentality of the Grand Am series...

Yet, for this season ending “Enduro,” there were a plethora of Open Wheel “Starzs” on hand to split time behind the wheel with series regulars in the 6 ¾ hour event, with big names such as: Da Matta, Dalziel, Gregoire, Hunter-Reay, Lloyd, Matos, Rice and Vasser to name a few... As all of these “Big” names split time behind the wheel of the Ugly Duckling Daytona Prototypes...

And as always, Cristiano Da Matta was the class of the OWR “Ringers” to me, as the microphone was stuck in front of his face, asking; what technical expertise does he bring to the team and its young drivers? As Da Matta was co-driving with AIM Motorsports this weekend and the diminutive Brazilians said: Actually I don’t bring any experience to them, as you have to remember I’m the Rookie, as it’s only my third race ever in a Grand am car... This coming from the lips of an ex-CART Champion and ex-Formula 1 piloto was a breath of fresh air...

But in the end, it was “Rafa,” who was the star of the show... As I was going crazy at the Telescreen, growling; C’mon you morons! It’s Matos... NOT Mate-oh’s... And Thus I erupted in laughter when Michael Shank Racing teammate Mark Paterson appropriately SLAMMED the SPEED TV commentators over the correct pronunciation, as the reigning Indy Lights Champion put on a driving clinique during the races final stint by handily pulling away from series regular Max “The Ax” Angelelli, with a string of scintillatingly fast laps in the 2:37+ per lap range over the 4.47 mile, 23 turn circuit in somewhat inclement weather...